News to Know
December 2005
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Florida Department of Education
Web Enabled Front End System
• OSFA has rolled out the new Web Enabled Front End
System! If you are currently guaranteeing your loans
through NWRDC, contact your OSFA Outreach
Representative today to get online with the new Front
End. With the new Front End, you still receive
INSTANT guarantee notification and can also enter for
multiple campus branch codes through one user
id/password assigned to your institution. This is a great
benefit if you are a multi-campus operation and don’t
like juggling multiple sign-on’s through your current
setup!
DOE Customer Survey
• At the end of each email you receive from a
Department of Education employee, there is a link to
the “DOE Customer Survey.” Please take a few
minutes to provide feedback on the quality of
service you received from your DOE Contact.
The Department of Education values your
feedback as a customer and Commissioner
John L. Winn is committed to continuously
assessing and improving the level and quality of
services provided to you by Department staff.
Thank you in advance for completing the
survey.
Loan Originations Staff
• Please join us in welcoming the newest additions to the Loan
Originations Unit! The Loan Originations staff are here to serve
our School and Lender Partners and are available to assist you in
all aspects of the loan guarantee process. See below for their
updated contact information:
– Allie Willis, 850-410-5243 office, 850-942-8017 fax, allie.willis@fldoe.org
– Debby Terfinko, 850-410-5245 office, 850-942-8017 fax,
debby.terfinko@fldoe.org
– Tammy Lynn, 850-410-5259 office, 850-942-8017, tammy.lynn@fldoe.org
– Gianetta James, 904-696-5969 office, 904-696-5969 fax,
gianetta.james@fldoe.org
– Sarada Posinasetty, 850-245-1839 office, 850-942-8017 fax,
sarada.posinasetty@fldoe.org
– Karen Hurrell, 904-745-3091, 904-745-3092 fax, karen.hurrell@fldoe.org
– Tom Mims (Director), 850-410-6211 office, 850-942-8017 fax,
tom.mims@fldoe.org
State Aid and Residency
Requirements
• The state aid and Bright Futures eligibility requirements
are based on Florida residency for tuition purposes.
Therefore, if an institution has classified the student as
“resident” (i.e., Florida residency for the requisite 12month period prior to enrollment) then the student is
eligible for state aid, including Bright Futures.
– This includes students that are on an H-4 visa and have established
Florida residency for tuition purposes.
The Talented 20 Program
• The Talented 20 Program provides a way for students to be
admitted to a university in the state of Florida. Students eligible
for the Talented 20 Program are guaranteed admission to one
of eleven universities and are given priority for the awarding
of funds from the Florida Student Assistance Grant, a needbased student assistance program. Florida is the only state in the
nation to guarantee admission to its public high school students
graduating in the top 20 percent of their class. Students must
have completed the required 19 academic credits and have either
an SAT or ACT score (no minimum is required). Refer to page
73 of the SSFAD Guide for Postsecondary Institutions for
instructions on downloading the Talented 20 FSAG Recipients
list.
State Programs Loan Default
Eligibility Policy (2004 34)
• Policy Statement
– To be eligible for an award, an applicant must not be in default on any state loan
program or any federal Title IV loan program, unless satisfactory arrangements have
been made to repay the loan. A loan is any financial assistance for educational costs
and has specific repayment conditions outlined in a promissory note. This policy applies
to ALL state programs.
• Loan Default
– A default is a failure on the part of a borrower to repay a loan in accordance with the
terms and conditions of a promissory note or a payment schedule accepted by the lender.
• Satisfactory Arrangements to Repay
– The lender or holder of the loan determines what constitutes satisfactory arrangements
to repay.
To view the Defaulted State Loan Recipients visit, www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org, click
on Post-Secondary Institutions, click on Defaulted State Loans. You must enter your SSFAD
user id/password to download the file in either excel or .pdf format.
Upcoming State Program Deadlines
• December
– Bright Futures Academic Top Scholars Awards listed on Master Eligibility
List (MEL)
– Program allocations requested for eligible institutions for Term 2
– Term 2 pro-ration information (if applicable) sent for FRAG and ABLE
Programs
– Florida Financial Aid Application for Students available online for
next academic year
• January
– Term 2 DER’s due 30 days after the PSI’s last day of drop/add
– OSFA begins collecting FAFSA/ISIR data from USDE
– Florida Financial Aid Application for Teachers available online for for
next academic year funding
Enrollment Reporting Guide
• NSLDS released the newest version of the Enrollment
Reporting Guide (dated October 2005). If you have not
downloaded your copy, you may retrieve on the IFAP website
under the NSLDS Reference Materials link.
• The guide details the enrollment reporting process and provides
step-by-step instructions for using the NSLDS Web site,
including how to log on, navigate the site, report and update
student enrollment, and create and modify reporting schedules.
The guide also includes the layout for Enrollment Reporting
roster files and error files, as well as error codes and
explanations. If you have questions or need assistance, please
contact the NSLDS Customer Service Center at 1-800-999-8219
or via email at NSLDS@pearson.com.
Florida College Goal Sunday
• In Florida, the first College Goal Sunday will be held
February 19th, 2006. Financial Aid counselors will be
on hand at 20 of Florida’s community college campuses
to assist students in every aspect of the FAFSA
application process. For more information, or to
volunteer at a location near you, please visit their
website.
Integrated Common Manual
• The Integrated Common Manual has been
updated and is now available on the NCHELP
website. Bookmark this site as a favorite today!
NASFAA’s Financial Aid Night and
Counselor’s Materials
• NASFAA's Financial Aid Night and Counselor's
Materials, updated for 2006-07, are now available online. These materials were developed for financial aid
administrators, high school counselors, and other
interested persons to use when conducting financial aid
night presentations and when counseling students and
parents on the student financial aid process.
LEARNSTUDENTAID.ORG
• Enrollment is now open for enrollment in the
LearnStudentAid course series "Financial Aid Fundamentals"
that starts in January 2006. Since January is a very busy time at
many institutions, you may be wondering whether you or your
staff members should commit to this training at this time of
year. There is a major advantage to starting in January in the
four-course series; you will have a total of 4½ months to
complete the four courses. To learn more about the time
requirements, courses, and enrollment procedures, visit their
website. Pay particular attention to the documents under
"Help," especially the LearnStudentAid.org "Frequently Asked
Questions."
PLUS/SLS Variable Interest Rate for
2006
• Due to the wording of the promissory notes, some
loans are subject to a calendar-year adjustment of the
variable interest rate, based on the “91-day Treasury
Bill” method that existed in statute [section 427A(c)(4)]
prior to enactment of the Higher Education Technical
Amendments Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-50).
Accordingly, the variable interest rate for calendar year
is 6.85%.
– Please note: this rate applies only to PLUS/SLS promissory notes that
provide for a calendar year adjustment based on the “91-day Treasury
Bill.”
2006-2007 EFC Formula Guide
• The 2006-2007 EFC Formula Worksheets and Tables
are available on the NASFAA website.
2006-2007 Verification Worksheets
• The 2006-2007 Verification Worksheets are now
available on-line.
– The use of the federal verification worksheets is not required. An
institution may use a worksheet of its own design, or no worksheet at
all. An institution may also require other documentation in addition to,
or instead of, a completed verification worksheet.
MYF Chat Events
• Chat Schedule
– January 17, 2006 - Financial aid and the FAFSA
– March 21, 2006 - Applying to and paying for college
(including student loans)
– May 16, 2006 - Financial aid and managing student loans and
consumer debt
– August 15, 2006 - Managing your student loans, including
repayment options, consolidation, and cancellation
• All chat events are scheduled for 7-8 PM (EST)
and more information is available on the MYF
Website.
Loan Counseling Powered by MYF
• Lender Partners that are Friends of Mapping Your
Future (MYF) can use MYF’s proven Online Student
Loan Counseling model and technology to develop
loan counseling sessions for their alternative loan
programs. This program is available for a minimal fee,
in addition to the annual membership dues. If you're
interested in Loan Counseling Powered by MYF,
contact CariAnne Behr at CariAnne.Behr@mappingyour-future.org or (573) 634-8641 for more
information.
FASFAA Dates to Remember
• FASFAA Clock Hour Schools Workshop
– February 8-10, 2006, Mt. Dora, Florida
• SASFAA Annual Conference
– February 12-15, 2006, Greensboro, NC
• New Aid Officers Workshop
– February 22-24, 2006, Safety Harbor, Florida
• Experienced Aid Officers Workshop
– March 1-3, 2006, Safety Harbor, Florida
• Graduate/Professional Workshop
– March 3, 2006, Safety Harbor, Florida
• 2006 SFA Spring Conference
– April 5-7, 2006, San Antonio, Texas
• FASFAA Spring 2006 Conference
– June 7-9, 2006, Fort Myers, Florida
For more information on these events,
and other future scheduled events, visit
the NEW FASFAA website.
Mission Statement
• The Florida Department of Education, Office of
Student Financial Assistance (OSFA), serves as a
guarantor for the Federal Family Education Loan
Program (FFELP), and the administrator of Florida’s
scholarship and grant programs. The OSFA Mission is
to facilitate higher education access and services by
providing exemplary customer attention,
comprehensive financial aid information, and
convenient and efficient products.
Philosophy
• As a public agency, OSFA has the ability to offer its partners and
customers something few guarantors can: the ability to shape
OSFA programs and services based on their specific concerns.
Earnings generated from OSFA’s loan programs are used to help
fund scholarship and grant programs, financial aid workshops
and publications, and to provide better services for our
participants. When schools and students choose to use the OSFA
guarantee for student loans, they are actually helping countless
other needy and deserving students by investing in education
programs. So, if a participant has a problem or suggestion,
OSFA management listens and does whatever it takes to
implement a solution that meets their needs. Public dollars
deserve that kind of accountability in education finance.
Outreach Team Contact Information
• Ernest Smith, Director of Market Development
– 850-322-6498
– Jacqueline Hill, Default Prevention Manager
– 850-212-1108
– Lori Auxier, Manager of Outreach Services
– 850-212-2997
– Stephanie Durdley, Outreach Representative
– 850-322-6219
– Kelly Bernhardt, Outreach Representative
– 850-277-2331
• Robin Blank, Outreach Representative
– 850-264-6008
• Armando Salas-Amaro, Outreach Representative
– 850-321-6882
Regional Contact Information
• Lori Auxier
– Manager of Outreach Services
– 850-212-2997
– Lori.Auxier@fldoe.org
The Florida Department of Education, Office
of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA),
wish you a joyous and prosperous Holiday
Season!
Closing
• Confidence in the institution’s ability to
determine our integrity, character, and
truthfulness is of the utmost importance to
OSFA. The Office of Student Financial
Assistance wants to know and deliver what you
seek in a partner. You have the right to choose.
Together, we have the power to make a
difference. Trust the Office of Student Financial
Assistance to help you help your students. They
are our future.